District Man Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Armed Robbery Outside Restaurant-Security Footage And Citizens’ Tips Helped Lead Police To Defendant-

     WASHINGTON - James E. Wade, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 months in prison on an armed robbery charge stemming from a hold-up last spring outside a Northwest Washington restaurant, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Wade pled guilty in September 2013 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Wade will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on May 17, 2013, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the two victims were dining at a table in front of a restaurant in the 1400 block of 12th Street NW when Wade approached them. He was brandishing what appeared to be a handgun.  Wade demanded the victims’ property, and the two men turned over their cash, wallet, and cell phone. After taking the property, Wade fled.

     Footage from the restaurant’s security camera was released to the public through various media outlets, along with a number for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The police received many calls from citizens on the tip line identifying the suspect in the video as Wade.  Others who were familiar with Wade also identified him as the perpetrator of the robbery. On June 8, 2013, police officers located Wade and placed him under arrest.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case for the MPD as well as the citizens who came forward. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Sroka, who investigated and prosecuted the case.